The NBA Playoffs: What We've All Been Waiting For

We've endured the 82 game long schedule and we have all seen the best and worst the NBA has to offer. Now, we have the best the NBA has to offer in the 2008-09 NBA playoffs with only a limited number of teams that could be considered dominant.

Over the past few years, a number of upsets have happened proving anything is possible and that teams could emerge from the basement of the NBA to become the top team in basketball. Let's go through the matchups and see who will come out on top, shall we?

Eastern Conference First Round

1. Cleveland Cavaliers(66-16) vs. 8. Detroit Pistons(39-43)

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the season series 3-1 and we all know what LeBron James could do against the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs. The Pistons have been a great playoff team for the latter part of the past ten years, but this isn't the same team that advanced to six straight eastern conference finals.

The Pistons are on the decline and the Cavs are only going to the top, LeBron and company will make short work of this deteriorating club.

Cavaliers in 4

2. Boston Celtics(62-20) vs. 7. Chicago Bulls(41-41)

The Boston Celtics truly have been amazing the past two years, but that was a Boston Celtics team that had future hall of famer Kevin Garnett. This time, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are going to have to pick up the team on their own and lead them against this young, but scrappy Bulls team.

Boston won the season series 2-1. It's not going to be easy without KG and the Bulls might steal a game or two, but the experience and veteran leadership of the Celtics will lead the Celtics to a series win over an upset minded Chicago Bulls.

Celtics in 6

3. Orlando Magic(59-23) vs. 6. Philadelphia 76ers(41-41)

Orlando swept the 76ers in the season series 3-0, and I don't expect much to change in the playoffs either. The 76ers are led by Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller, who have been leading the team all year.

They could cause a threat to the Magic, if they can put a damper on Dwight Howard or limit the 3-point shooting threat of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. There is little to no chance that the 76ers can stop Superman.

Magic in 5

4. Atlanta Hawks(47-35) vs. 5. Miami Heat(43-39)

This could be the most exciting series in the playoffs. Both teams feature great home records, but lowly road records.

The series will come down to whoever can steal a game on the road. Dwyane Wade has carried the Miami Heat all year and skeptics are thinking he can do it throughout the postseason.

It'll take alot for the Heat's young team to try and put a limit on Joe Johnson's shooting, Josh Smith's defense and Al Horford's play inside the paint, but if Wade has it in him he can bring his team to a first round upset.

Heat in 7

Western Conference First Round

1. Los Angeles Lakers(65-17) vs. 8. Utah Jazz(48-34)

The Lakers are back and better than ever. Now equipped with it's young, ferocious center in Andrew Bynum, the Lakers now have the force in the paint that they were missing so much in last year's NBA finals.

The Jazz do feature one of the NBA's elite point guards in Derron Williams, but in all honesty this Lakers team is just too good. The tandem of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol will lead the team to an easy series win.

Lakers in 4

2. Denver Nuggets(54-28) vs. 7. New Orleans Hornets(49-33)

The Western Conference first round certainly has more suspense filled series and this could be one of them. The Hornets and Nuggets tied the season series at 2-2 and this playoff series could go either way.

Chris Paul and the Hornets have been slumping as of late, but they're a team looking for revenge after the way they were bounced out of the playoffs last year. The Nuggets led by newcomer Chauncey Billups have been the NBA's biggest surprise and if they can keep getting support from their bench, most notably J.R. Smith, they can pull this one out.

Nuggets in 6

3. San Antonio Spurs(54-28) vs. 6. Dallas Mavericks(50-32)

The Spurs might be on the biggest upset alert of all the top seeds in the playoffs and it's for one reason and one reason only: Manu Ginobili. The Spurs lost their swingman for the playoffs and now have to heavily rely on Tim Duncan and Tony Parker for an offensive spark.

The playoffs have not been kind to the Mavericks in the past few years, but they do come in with a swagger riding on late momentum. The question is, can Dirk Nowitzki lead this team to a first round upset?

Naaaa. Tim Duncan is still MVP worthy and Tony Parker can explode for 40 points at any time.

Spurs in 7

4. Portland Trail Blazers(54-28) vs. 5. Houston Rockets(53-29)

You asked for a great playoff series? You got it.

The Trail Blazers come into the playoffs as one of the most dangerous teams featuring a core of the young Brandon Roy and the equally young LaMarcus Aldridge who can lead this team far into the playoffs. The Rockets have been substantially better without Tracy McGrady and still have a skyscraper standing in the middle of the floor that can rebound, shoot and cause people to miss shots.

It'll be an intense one, but the Blazers are too good of a home team and with it's crowd behind them, they'll pull this one out.

Blazers in 6

Eastern Conference Second Round

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. Miami Heat

You cannot ask for a better matchup than this. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Dwyane Wade and...yeah, pretty much Dwyane Wade. These two have been going at it since they came into the league and have put on some legendary performances when matched up against one another.

The two teams have had some good matchups this year with the Cavs coming out on top for the most part. If Dwyane Wade can receive some support from the rest of his team, the Heat have a chance to make a huge upset but the Cavs lineup is just too deep and too good.

Cavs in 6

2. Boston Celtics vs. 3. Orlando Magic

This Celtics team is not nearly the same without it's emotional leader Kevin Garnett. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are great and might be future hall of famers, but to lose it's main component hurts a lot.

Glen Davis will have to start in his place and this means guarding the Magic's main 3-point threat in Rashard Lewis. Davis just doesn't have the athleticism to match up with Lewis.

Oh did I mention the Magic have Dwight Howard?

Magic in 5

Western Conference Second Round

1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 4. Portland Trail Blazers

There are two teams the Lakers can't figure out? The Charlotte Bobcats and the Portland Trail Blazers on the road.

If there's a team that can stop the Lakers in these playoffs, its the Blazers. There's just something about the Rose Garden Arena that stumps the Lakers.

Roy, Aldridge and that deep bench can pose a strong threat to the Lakers championship run, but Kobe Bryant will not allow something like this to happen even if it is against the Blazers.

Lakers in 5

2. Denver Nuggets vs. 3. San Antonio Spurs

Past Nuggets teams would have been happy with making it this far in the playoffs, but this Nuggets team wants more. Led by a player who knows what championship glory feels like in Chauncey Billups, this team should advance.

Like before, a San Antonio Spurs team without Manu Ginobili is a shell of itself and while they will be likely to advance past the first round, it would be lucky to see them make it past the semifinals.

Nuggets in 6

Eastern Conference Finals

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 3. Orlando Magic

My personal finals prediction at the beginning of the season was for the Magic to advance to the finals. I had no idea that the Cavs would be this good though.

I still believe the Magic can pull off a huge upset and advance to the finals, but erratic 3-point shooting is nothing to rely on to advance past the eastern conference finals. With the Cavs gaining home court advantage, they should make it past the Magic in a close one.

Cavaliers in 6

Western Conference Finals

1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 2. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are ready, they've been waiting for this all year since Chauncey Billups came onto the scene. They have the firepower and intensity to match with the Lakers, but there's one thing they can not match.

Kobe Bryant. Kobe has a lot of people to prove wrong and wants that championship more than anyone else in the league and no one on the Nuggets can match up with him any given night.

The Lakers are destined.

Lakers in 5

NBA Finals

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are the only team to beat the Cavs at home this season—a Cavs team that featured LeBron James that is—and is the only team the Cavaliers have not beaten this year. We have seen the teams matched up and we have all seen Kobe Bryant tear apart that Cavs team, including LeBron James.

The Lakers feature the deepest bench in the NBA, with which the Cavaliers cannot compare. They also feature two big men that are near impossible to stop in Pao Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

LeBron James is a fierce competitor and his leadership can bring this team to victory, but there is not enough depth in this team to stop the championship hungry Lakers. The games will all be down to the wire, but in the end Kobe will get his 4th championship.

Lakers in 6

There you have it, I could be wrong on every prediction or I could be right, but from my standpoint this is what it looks like. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will get to that peak they have been yearning for desperately over the past year. This is sure to be a great NBA playoffs.